Not Ready for MIPS? Here's What to Do

Physicians should use this transition year to take advantage of resources to help them comply with MACRA and get started if they haven't already, the AMA president says.

David O. Barbe, MD

Although it's been just months since half of healthcare providers admitted stark lack of awareness, let alone readiness, to comply with Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), a key deadline for the law's merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS) track has already come and gone.

David O. Barbe, MD, MHA, a board-certified family physician and president of the American Medical Association, provides guidance on how physicians and medical groups can get up to speed.

HealthLeaders Media: Now that the October 2 deadline for 90-day participation in MIPS has passed, what's your advice to physicians?

David Barbe, MD: For 2017, if a physician hadn't started reporting prior to October 2, then they missed the opportunity to do what I call 'standard reporting.'

However, in our conversations with CMS in preparation for this first transition year, we were able to negotiate a fairly straightforward process where a physician can report on one patient and one quality measure, and that will exempt them from the penalty.

They don't get a bonus for that of course, but they don't get a penalty applied.